Syringe construction



June 25, 1929. A. EqsMlTH 1,718,599

SYRINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l E I g1.

INVEN TOR.

ARTHUR E. SM/TH.

June 25, 1929. A. E. SMITH 1,718,599

SYRINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mqmlwu Fl 5 w 62 65 6 1 IN VEN TOR.

ARTHUR f. SMITH BY &

QQ EVWM A TTORNEY.

Patented 25, 1929.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

srnmen oonsrrnocr'ron.

- Application nled December 17,; 1927. Serial 1T0. 240,795.

This invention relates to improvements in by oderniic syringes.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved syringe wherein the a substance to be ejected is contained in acartridge-like ampule which is provided with aslidable stopper, and wherein means is provided for automatically and for correctly positioning an ampule in the syringe when to the operating member of the syringe is arranged in an operative position; and wherein in-the process of injecting, the'various parts of the syringe coact to move the stopper relative to the ampule to force out the contents of the ampule.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved syringe having an ejector plunger which is adapted to .enter a constricted portion of an ampule contained an therein with means for automatically and correctly positioning the ampule before the plunger enters the constricted portion of the syringe.

An additional object of the invention is to as provide a novel means for centering an anipule in a syringe.

Other objects of this invention will'be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through my improved syringe showing an ampule therein and showing the ejecting plunger about to be operated to move the ampule stopper to eject the contents of the ampule. I

Fig. 2 is a side view of the syringe showing the positions of the various elements after the contents of the ampule have been ejected.

till

barrel and showing how thecentering device acts to position a small ampule.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-'5 of Fig. W Fig. 6 is a side view of a two compartment Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the syringe body 1 with the cap, ejecting plunger mechanisrm.

ampule such as is adapted-to be used in connect on with my improved syringe.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the manner ofmixing the vehicle with the drug in the ampule.

F1g. 8 is an enlarged central vertical section through the stopper of the ampule.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged central vertical section through the end of the vehicle transfer probe.

Fig. 10 is aside view partly in section of a modified form of ampule such as may also be used in connection with my improved syr nge, and

Fig. 11 is a side view partly in section of another form of ampule which may be used in my improved syringe.

Referring 1 to the drawings b reference characters I have indicated a hypodermic syringe embodying the features of my invention generally at 10. This syringe comprises a hol ow body portion 01' barrel 11 preferably of metal and having screw threads 12 provided at one end and having its other end left plain. Adjacent one end of the barrel 11 a finger grip cross bar 13 is provided and in the barrel 11 oppositely disposed elongated apertures 14 are arranged. Between these apertures and on the. inner wall opposed grooves 15 are provided. 7 so The'end of the syringe opposite the cross bar 13 is provided with a tip 16 which is in threaded engagement with the screw threads12 of the barrel. This tip 16 has a reduced end 1'2 and is provided with a tapered recess 18 which communicates with an aperture 19 which extendsthrough the reduced end 17 A hypodermic needle 20 is adapted to be positioned on the reduced end 17 of the tip 16 and'the end 17 may either be threaded or tapered as shown. Y The end of the syringe opposite the tip 16 is adapted to be closed by a cap 21 which has a sliding fit in the syringe barrel 11 and is adapted to be held in closing position by frictional engagement with the syringe barrel. The cap 21 is. shown as including a recess 22 in which is provided a boss 23 through which an aperture 24 provided in the cap extends. The boss 23 is provided with a circompression springs 39 and balls 40. Thethe slots 26 and a portion of it extends into the aperture 24- and resiliently, engages a plan er rod (to be presently described) which passes through the aperture. The (as 21 also includes at its lower end a redu flange 28.

Positioned in the a rture 24 of the cap I provide a plunger re 29 which includes an enlarged thumb piece 30 and an enlarged screw threaded head 31 in which is provi ed a recess 32'. The clip 27 of the cap engages the plunger rod 29 and the tension on the plunger rod resiliently holds it in set relation to the cap.

Mounted on the plunger rod 29 between its head 31 and the cap 21 I provide an amfpul'e centering device 33'which has a sliding t in the barrel 11 and includes an a erture 34 for the passage therethrough of t e plunger rod 31. The centering device 33 is shown as provided with a circular groove 35 on its top face and provided with a conical recess 36 in its lower face which is adapted to communicate with the aperture 34. At the juncture of the aperture 34 and the conical recess I provide screw threads 37 of a size corresponding-to the size of the screw threads on the plunger rod head 31. On opposite sides of thecentering device I have shown two-sets of apertures 38 in which are mounted coiled balls 40 are shown as adapted to be maintained in place by rings 41 which are secured in place after the springs and the balls have been placed in position in the apertures 38.

When the centering device 33 is positioned in the barrel 11 of the syringe the balls 40 are adaptedto be positioned in the grooves 15 in the syringe barrel-and will frictionally engage the surfaces of the grooves and hold the centering device in any position at which it' is stopped.

When it is desired to 'operatively position the cap 21, the plunger rod 29 and the centering device 33 in the syringe, .it is preferable to screw the head 31 of the plunger rod into the'screw threads 37 on the centering device 33 and then move the cap 21 into contact with the centering device so that the flange 28 on the lower end of the cap fits within the groove 35, on the upper face of the centering device as shown in Fig. 4. vThe cap 21 is then grasped and the centering device is placed in the end of the syringe so that the balls 40 are positioned in the grooves 15 and then the cap is moved into operative position inv the syringe barrel 11. By unscrewing the plunger rod head 31 from the centering device 33 the plunger rod 29 maybe moved within the barrel 11. When removing the snares cap 21, plunger rod 29 and the cente device 33 from the syrin it is preferab e to again bring them into t 0 same relationship as when inserting them in the syringe as previousl describe In igs; 6 and 7 I have indicated generally at 45 the ampule which I have shown as used in the syringe in Figs. 1 and 2. This ampule 45 as shown comprises two so arate containers or compartments 46 an 47 which are preferably 'made of glass, fused together and Zgnstricted at their uncture as indicated at The end of the compartment 46 is closed by a bulbous portion 49 and at the juncture of the compartment 11 and the bulbous rtion 49 a constricted portion is provide as indicated at 50. The end of the compartment 47 is provided with a tapered neck 51 which terminates in a closed tip 52.

Between the two compartments 46 and 47 and at the constriction 48 a metallic seal 53 is rovided. This metallic seal is preferably a isk shaped platinum partition and may be fused in sition when manufacturin the ampule. n the com artment 47 and ad acent the constriction 48 provide a stopper indicated generally at 54 and shown in detail in Fig. 8. This stopper is preferably positioned in the compartment 47 before the tapered neck 51 and tip 52 are formed. Surrounding the tapered neck 51 I provide a resilient collar 55 which ispreferably made of a good grade of rubber.

To render the bulbous portion 49 readil separable from the compartment 46 I pre erably weaken the constricted portion 50 by scoring or etching it as at 56. To render the compartments 46 and 47 readily separable from-one another Imay weaken the constricted portion 48 by etching it as at 57 and to render the tip 52 readily separable from the neck 52 I may also weaken it by etching it just below the resilient collar as at 58'.

The contents of the compartment 46, such as the vehicle 59, is preferably placed there in before the bulbous portion 49 is closed and the contents of the compartment 47, such as a drug 60, is laced therein before the tip 52 is closed. so, before the ti 52 is closed the compartment 47 is prefera ly exhausted to a state of partial vacuum.

The stopper 54 is preferably made of a good grade of rubber and includes a body portion 61 having a protruding tip 62 extending therefrom. At the juncture of the body portion and the tip a semi-circular groove 63 is provided so that when the stopper is used as a piston to expel the contents of the ampule the pressure exerted upon the stopper by the contents of the ampulc will cause the lower edge of the stopper to tightly grip the-inner side walls of the ampule and prevent any of the ampule contents from passing the stopper.

' sides of the body 61 and a Grooves 64 are preferably Iprovided in the u ricant 65, such as glycerine, ma be placed in the grooves so as to lessen the frlction of the stopper against theside walls of vthe ampule when it.is moved therein.

A metallic tube 66 which may have integral radially extending fins 67 is provided in the. body 61 and is preferably positioned therein at the time o moulding the stopper.

To prepare the ampule 45 for use in my improved syringe 10 the bulbous portlon 49 is broken on at the etching 56' and a probe 70 is inserted through the opening at the constriction 50. a Y I The probe 7 0 is'shown in detail in Fig. 9 and preferably comprises a solid metal'stem 71 havingv a recess 72 therein at one end into which radially disposed apertures 73 form a passageway from the outside. One 'end' of a hollow reduced needle 74 is inserted and secured in the recess 72 and the opposite end of the needle is preferably sharpened as at 75. The needle 74 is of a size to pass through the aperture in the tube 66 but the stem 71 will not pass through the aperture in the tube 66 p but will abut the end of the tube 66;

When the probe 70 has been inserted into the compartment 46 it is moved downward so that the needle 74 fractures and passes through the metallic partition 53 into the aperture of the hollow tube 66 of the. stopper, through the solid portion of-the stopper tip 62 and into the compartment 47, as clearly shown in Fig. 7.

When the needle 74 has sufiiciently entered the compartment 47 it will be stopped by the end of the stem 71 abutting the end of. the tube 66. The needle 74 extends a certain predetermined distance from the end of the stem 71 so that when the stem abuts the end of the tube 66 it is sufficiently clear of the stopper tip 62 to allow the vehicle contained in the compartment 46 to'be drawn by the vac-v uum in the compartment 47 through the apertures 73, into recesst72, through the hollow needle 74 and be freely discharged into the drug compartment 47 thus mixing the vehicle and the drug into a single solution as shown in Fig. 7.

After the vehicle and the drug have been mixed the probe 70 is withdrawn and the compartment 46is separated from the compartment 47 at the-etching 57. The tip 52 is then separated from the compartment 47 at the etching 58 and the compartment 47 is then ready for use as an ampule in my syringe l0. 5

To insert an ampule in my improved syringe 10 the cap 21, together with the plunger rod 29 and the centering device 33, is removed as previously described.- The ampule is then inserted in the syringe barrel 11 so that the collar 55-is positioned in the tapered recess 18 of the tip 16 and then the cap 21, plunger ampule and centers it. Then the plunger rod is, unscrewed from thecentering device and moved through the opening at the constriction 50 until it abuts the sto per 54. When the end of the plunger rod 29 a uts the stopper 54 it contacts with the uppermost fin 67 and the protruding end of the tube 66 is 'positioned in the recess 32 of the plunger rod,

thus preventing the end of the plun er rod from skidding to one side and tilting the stopper.

Upon further movement of the plunger rod 29 towards the tip 16 the plungerwill force the stopper 54 towards the tapered neck 51 of the ampule and cause the stopper to act as a piston to expel the contents of the ampule into the hypodermic needle 20.

' The pressure of the balls 40 in thecentering device 33 against the surface of the grooves 15 in the syringe barrel 11 will maintain the centering device'in engagement with the end of the ampule throughout the ejecting operation and the spring clip 27 will maintain the plunger'rod 29 in whatever position it may be stopped at during an'ejecting operation. a

The pressure requiredto move'the stopper 54 to expel the contents of the ampule will wedge the collar 55 in the tapered recess 18 v of the tip 16 and form a fluid tight seal between the end of the ampule and the syringe.

.In Fig. 10 I have indicated a modified form of ampule for use in my syringe 10 generally at 77. This ampule 77 includes a body portion or compartment 78 which is closed at one end by a bulbous portion 7 9 and the opposite end is provided with a tapered neck 80 which terminates-in a closed tip 81. At the uncture of the bulbous portion 79 and the compartment 78 a constricted portion is provided as indicated at 82. In the com artment 78 and adjacent the constriction 82 provide a stopper 83 which is similar to the stopper 65 and is provided with a metallic stud 84'which extends above the upper face of the stopper. Surrounding the tapered neck 80 I provide a resilient collar 85 which is preferably made of a good grade of rubber.

To render the bulbous portion 7 9 readily separable from the compartment 78 I preferably weaken the constricted portion 82 by scoring or etching it as at 86 and to render the tip .81 readily separable from the neck 80 I may also weaken it by etching it just below the resilient collar as at 87. To prepare the modified ampule 77 for use. In my s rings 10 it is only necessaryto break the bul ous portion 79 ofi' at the etching 86 and to break the tip 81 oif at the etching 87..

- in the syrin e is .the same as that previ ously' descri pule 45.

In Fig d in connection with the am- 11 I have indicated generally at 90 another modified form of ampule for use in my syringe 10., This ampule 90 includes a body portion or compartment 91 rovided at one end with a tapered neck 92 w ich terminates in a closed tip 93. The opposite end of the compartment 91 is formed lain and open and may be covered if desired y a elatinous cap 94. In the compartment 91 ad acent-the open end thereof I provide a stopper 95 which ber to resiliently engage said barrel, said meaps including spring pressed members fitted in said grooves in said barrel.

3. In a syringe adapted to receive an ampule, a ooved barrel, a pair of oppositely dispose grooves in said barrel, a cap for said barrel, a plunger rod adapted to move longitudmally through said cap and in said barrel, an am ule positioning member surrounding said p unger rod and adapted to move longitudinally in saidbarrel independently of said plunger rod, and means to hold said positionmg member, said means including spring is made of a good rade of rubber. This stop-\pressed members movable in said grooves 1n per 95 has a metal ie disk 96 positioned on its upper face which includes a stud 97 pro'ecting upwardly therefrom and a pair 0 depressed loops 98. The disk 96 is joined to the stopper 95 at the time of moulding the stopperand the loops become imbedded' in the ody of the stopper and retain the disk 96 in posltion on the stopper.

To render the tip 93 readily separable from the tapered neck 92 I may weaken it by etching it as indicated at 99. A resilient collar 100 is provided onthe tapered neck 92 just above the etching 99.

To prepare the ampule 90 for use the cap 94 is removed and the tip 93 is broken ofi at the etching 99. The insertion and operation of this ampule 90 in the syringe 10 is the same as that described in connection with the ampule 45.

In Fig. 4 the small ampule shown at 101 illustrates the wide ran e of sizes with which my syringe will coact. en a small ampule is used in my syringe 10 it is not necessary to remove the cap 21, plunger rod 29 and centering member 33 when inserting or removing the ampule from the syringe as the ampule may be inserted or removed through the apertures 14 in the barrel 11.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided a novel form of hypodermic syringe which can be econnomically manufactured, which is simple in construction and highly efficient in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a syringe adapted to receive an ampule, a barrel, an ampule positioning member movable longitudinally in said barrel, said barrel having a pair of .opposed grooves on the inner surface thereof, each of said grooves comprising a straight portion and a flaring portion merging into said straight portion and holding means on said positioning member adapted to actuate in said grooves in said barrel.

2. In a syringe including a barrel adapted to receive an ampule, a pair of oppositely disposed grooves Within said barrel, a plunger movable in said barrel, an ampule positioning member mounted to move longitudinally in said barrel, means in said positioning memsaid barrel.

4. In a syringe adapted to receive an ampule, a barrel, a pair of oppositely disposed grooves in said barrel, a cap for said barrel, a plunger rod adapted to move in said barrel, an ampule positioning member adapted to move longitudinally in said barrel, means in said positloning member to resiliently engage said arrel, said means including a plurality of spring pressed members mounted in said positioning member and adapted to actuate in said grooves in said barrel, a threaded recess in one face of said positioning member and a threaded head on said lunger rod, said threaded head being adapte to be positioned in said threaded recess to thereby join said plunger rod and said positioning member whereby they may be moved together.

5. In a syringe adapted to receive-an ampule, a grooved barrel, a cap for said barrel, a plunger rod adapted to move longitudinally through said cap and in said barrel, an ampule positioning member surrounding said plunger rod. and adapted to move longitudinally in said barrel independently of said plunger rod,means in said positioning memher to resiliently engage said barrel, said last mentioned means including a plurality of spring pressed members mounted in said positioning member and adapted to actuate in the groove in said barrel, said positioning member having a recess in one face and having a threaded recess adjacent the end of said first mentioned recess, an enlarged threaded head on said plunger rod, said threaded head being adapted to be positioned in said threaded recess to thereby 10in said plunger rod and said positioning member whereby they may be moved together.

6. In a syringe adapted to receive an ampule, a barrel, a cap for said barrel, a plunger rod adapted to move longitudinally through said cap and in said barrel, an ampule positioning member surrounding said plunger rod and adapted to move longitudinally in plunger rod and said positioning member whereby they may be moved together, an ampule in said barrel, a stopper in said ampule, said stopper including a projecting member, a 5 recess in said plunger rod head, said plunger rod being adapted when freed from said positioning member to enter said ampule and engage said stopper, said projecting member of said stopper, when said plunger rod engages said stopper, being adapted to be posi- 10 tioned in said recess in said plunger rod head.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

ARTHUR E. SMITH. 

